Tire Recommendations

I'm going to recommend an ODD tire

Nokian! Yes, they are really the same company that makes the cell phones, BUT they put an N on the end of their name

They are BEST known for the snow tires (Probably the BEST out there), but the make an "All Weather" tire - NOTE NOT "All Season". Basically, most "All Season" tires, even if they are M+S rated, stink in snow. Nokian "All Weather" tires have the "Mountain & Snowflake" that GOOD snowtires have, BUT are rated for summer use, and are fairly high perfomance even on dry summer pavement

NOT cheap, hard to get. VERY VERY well thought of - I have a set of WRs

http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/index.html
 
Right now I am really liking the Dunlop Sport SP 8000. It seems like it is mostly what I want, and I can get it with a slightly lower sidewall, and I like that look a bit better. As for performance I have no doubts in my mind it will perform excellent on dry pavement, or in the rain. Yes it is a summer tire, BUT in the reviews on TireRack it was mentioned that it could handle light snow. I really don't expect to be driving in any snow, so I think I can get away with this tire. I pretty much don't drive when there is much snow on the road, as I go to school and work within walking distance from my house. Last time we got heavy snow I waited until the streets where cleared before I went driving anywhere, and it only took a day. So the biggest problem I could possibly see would be the tire gripping in the cold, which doesn't seem to be a real problem. As I read in the reviews that the tire was able to deal with minor snow, so I guess it would be able to handle the cold just fine.


As for the Nokian tires that is actually what is on my car now. I don't really like them all that much. They were excellent in the snow, as I decided to test them out in a few inches of snow on the road. But that is really my problem with them, they are basically snow tires. I want a tire that will give me better performance during the rest of the year. As I said, we don't usually get all that much snow, and when we do the roads are cleared pretty quick. Thus I just feel that a tire designed more for the snow isn't really necessary, and limits my driving for the 98% of the time when there isn't snow.

This also leads me to another option. I believe that if I were to use snow tires I would only really need a set for my front wheels, as it is a front wheel drive car. This would mean that I could just get a set of summer tires for most of the year. And then if the winter will be a real snowy one just switch my front tires out. The tires on my car are all still in real good shape, except of course for the one with the cut. And as I found out last winter the tires on my car do very well in the snow. Would this work out, or do I need to have four snow tires?

Sorry to be so long, and thanks again for all the help. I appreciate it.
 
What size tires are your currently spec'd for? Perhaps if you provide us with more info, we can help you research your "options". :)

I would still recommend against driving on summer tires in the winter time, snow or no snow. The rubber will not grip properly at temps below 40F. You'll be used to a certain level of grip from the warmer months, and might be "gotcha'd" when the temps drop.

As far as Max Performance Summer tires go, the Dunlop SP Sport 9000s are mediocre compared to others such as the Bridgestone Potenza S-03, Pirelli PZero Nero, Michelin Pilot Sport, and Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3.

Also, I would advise getting the same four tires at each corner. In the case where you have snows up front and summers in back, you risk unexpected oversteer in turns.
 
The factory spec for the tires is a 195/60 R14. The thing about the Dunlops is that they are only available in a 195/55 R14, and I like the slightly lower sidewall that offers.

Due to the small rim size my choices are somewhat limited, and while I am sure the tires that you are recommending are good tires, they won't fit my car. That is why I am leaning toward getting a summer tire. I figure I can always try driving on it through the winter, and see how it will perform. I can keep my three good tires, and if need be buy a forth to have a set of winter tires.

Unforutnately there doesn't really seem to be a set of UHPAS tires in a 14" rim size. If there was one I would really look at that as my best choice. But looking at the options I have I think the best way to get what I want is a set of summer tires, and if I find it necessary I can always swap them out for winter tires if needed. I do have plenty of space to store a set of dedicated winter tires, and if I decide I don't really need them it is no big deal to get rid of them. Likewise if I decide that I do need the winter tires it shouldn't be that much of a problem to get a replacement for my damaged tire. And maybe even just a set of dedicated wheels for winter if I ever have some extra cash.
 
Yeah I guessed that was your reasoning for your choice, but I wanted to get the "info" out anyway. :) I've also been in the position where the tires I wanted weren't available in the size I wanted. I suppose buying 15" or 16" wheels isn't a viable option?
 
I'd love to be able to buy some nice 15 or 16 inch wheels, but don't have the money. As it is I will need to work about three weeks to pay for the tires alone, assuming that the tires + shipping + mounting comes out to be about $400. As far as I am concerned it is money well spent, but adding in 15" rims would at least double that cost, and if I wanted nice ones it would be even more. Which is another reason I don't really want to change rims, my car actually came with nice, more expensive rims, not the standard black painted steel rims.

I have a feeling I will probably end up just getting summer tires, then using winter tires if and when I need them. As I said before my tires are almost brand new, just one has some damage. My main reason for wanting a new set is that while they are great in snow, they are less than ideal the rest of the year. Buying 5 tires, and getting the best of both worlds seems to be my best option. If I am real lucky whatever tire I choose will be frippy enough for me to use through the winter. But I am never that lucky, so I will end up swapping on some winter tires when the colder weather comes. Thanks for all your help.
 
Do you know the width of your wheel? Sometimes it's possible to go a little wider (depending on the tire).
 
You can research tires at www.tirerack.com

They survey tires based on customer/owner feedback (based 100's of 000's of miles use)in 8 - 10 performance characteristics; example: wet,dry & snow traction, ride quality, noise, wear, etc.

I found these to be quite informative and accurate assessments.
 
I am not sure of my rim width, but I am fairly certain that the widest tire I could get would be a 205 width. I am just basing this on what others with the Integra have got on without problems. I could possibly even get a 215 if I did some careful measuring and research before buying. The only problem is that niether of those sizes really gives me any different options.

So basically I am stuck deciding between a set of summer tires and winter tires to get the best of both worlds. Or buying a lower performance all season tire, which is something I would rather avoid doing if possible. Right now I am seriously considering three different models, the Dunlop SP 8000, the Yokohama AVS ES100, and the Bridgestone Potenza RE950. At the moment I am really leaning toward getting the Dunlop as it has gotten quit a few good reviews. I am thinking I can get them as my most of the year tires. I will try driving easy on them as the weather gets colder, and see how they behave. If I feel that they are unsuitable I will just have my old tires standing by for winter use. TireRack sells some plain steel rims for $30 a pop that will fit my car, so making a set of winter wheels would be worth the money. Especially considering that getting a tire mounted and balanced will cost $10 - $20 for each tire, two times a year.

Do you believe that it will really be that much of a problem to see how the tires will perform as it gets colder? Or will it be that bad to have a set of tires just for winter, and others for the rest of the year? Maybe I am just being to picky, and wanting a racing tire for a car I will never be racing?:confused: Anyway the bottom line is that I just really would like the extra performance benefit of the better tire if possible.
 
Max performance summer tires will have virtually no traction in the cold.

No traction means no brakes, no cornering, no nothing. You can even slide side-to-side as the rubber hardens in the winter temperatures.

So even if you buy 2 winter tires, the other 2 tires will suffer the same loss of traction. Not to mention the uneven wear your summer tires will experience.

If you buy high performance summer rubber you will definitely need to by a set for the winter months and swap them out in mid to late october (if you are in the northeast).

Also, the car you are driving is not a dedicated sports car, so there is some diminishing returns as you reach for more serious rubber.

I think that the Dunlop SP5000s will be more than the rating indicates on the tirerack.

You have to remember that the tirerack data is national, so therefore guys in florida, the midwest and california will be skewing the data.
 
I just re-thought my plan, and decided against the summer tires. Swapping tires would be a real PITA for me, and cost me more money than it is worth. I have pretty much decided to just go with the Bridgestone Potneza RE950, as it is the top rated high performance all season tire. Yes this is somewhat of a compromise, but I think it is a worthwhile one as I don't see myself racing anytime soon. And as Sundsvall pointed out this is not a sports car, actually it is far from it.

Also these tires should be a significant improvement over what I am driving on now for the summer too. The Nokians worked real great in the snow, but when I push them on dry pavement the start squeling very easily, not a good thing in my mind. Thanks for all of the adivce, without it I would probably have found myself with a set of summer tires running in winter and a whole mess of problems.
 
I think the RE950 is a good choice. It is a good performing A/S tire. You may also consider the Michelin Pilot XGT H4, which cost slightly more (still under your $100 cap) and offer a stiffer sidewall.

Let us know how you like the HPAS tires you choose when you get them installed. :D
 
The RE950 is an excellent tire. They cost more, but are worth the price. Don't forget about the "30 Day Test drive", or that some Mastercare Bridgestone/Firestone's will match a Tirerack price. I did it a few times when I worked for Firestone. Print out what you are looking for, and take it to them. :)



Blades
 
I went to my local Bridgestone dealer Saturday, but they didn't have the RE950 in sotck, so I will have to wait until next weekend when they get it. They actually tried to push a cheaper tire on me, but as soon as I said I would rather wait for the 950, at about double the cost, they got really happy! I will see if they can price match for me, but the difference isn't so great so I am not really concerned.

I remember reading somewhere that Michelin tires that came as originla equipment on the car were not very good. I can't really remember for sure which model it was, but something in me is saying it might be the Pilot. Just in case I have decided to go with the Bridgestone. I will let you know how it works out after I have some spent some time driving on them.

Thanks again for all of your help.
 
I know buying wheels is an expensive option for most but, it can be a real lifesaver when you need the performance.

I had a Nissan KingCab pickup that had some of the worst handling I had known. The stock FireStone tires were really hard rubber and slid all over the place.

I went to the local FireStone company store and spoke to a lady there that really knew her stuff. I got some chrome steel replacement rims that accepted the Camero stock tire size. I went from skinny 14's to fat 15's and what a difference. It was amazing. Those SS-10's 195/65-15's were fantastic tires on that pickup. Cornering no longer pushed and slid the pickup around. Stopping was improved. Ride quality and handling in general ........ :)

The right tire can literally save your life when you need it. I drove nearly 100k miles for several years and saw a lot of stuff I hope you never do. A lot of people do really incredibly stupid things while pretending to drive. :eek:
 
Originally posted by ErikD
I remember reading somewhere that Michelin tires that came as originla equipment on the car were not very good. I can't really remember for sure which model it was, but something in me is saying it might be the Pilot. Just in case I have decided to go with the Bridgestone. I will let you know how it works out after I have some spent some time driving on them.
Click to expand...

This is not true. The Michelin Pilots are actually a whole series of tires, just as the Bridgestone Potenzas are a series, and to brand them all as not very good would be a big mistake. The original Pilot Sport is one of the premier Max Performance Summer tires. From exotic super cars such as the Pagani Zonda C12S to car-of-the-year cars such as the Infiniti G35 coupe, many sports cars utilize the Pilot Sport as the OEM tire. Similarly, the Pilot Sport A/S is the premier Ultra High Performance All-Season tire. If you look at the track tests at TireRack, you'll see for yourself.

Given your tire size requirements, the RE950 is probably the best choice of all, I would agree. However, if you do decide get those larger wheels, the Pilot Sport and Pilot Sport A/S would walk all over the RE950s, hands down.

Anyway, I would just suggest looking at objective data and not jumping to conclusions. :)
 
I am not jumping to any conclusions at all, sorry if I gave that impression. I understand that the Pilot is a whole series of tires, I just meant that I would want to be sure that the tire I was buying wasn't the OEM tire that people seemed to dislike.

What I really based my decision on was that the RE950 got a higher ranking on Tire Rack than the Pilot plus it was a bit cheaper. So I decided that a tire getting a better ranking at a lower price couldn't be a bad thing. Unfortunately I doubt I will be able to afford larger rims, though I would like it. However it is on my list of things to buy for my car, for when I win the lottery.:D
 
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